Meribeth's Turn
A lifetime of tolerance comes to an end
She lives amid stacks
Where there is life beyond hers
“I’m not so much a hoarder
More of a pack rat.”
Books stacked on books
Plates stacked on plates
Old and new
Dirty and clean
She takes better care
Of the books than herself
109-year old flat
Housing a 70-year old woman
Lead pipes
Drafty windows
Persistent damp
And a sunken floor
Don’t dissuade her
Nor does the landlady
Alternately kindly
And crazy
One bedroom
Stacked above the other
To allow sobs and snores
To travel
Day and night
What drives her away
And calls for change
For this woman
Who taught school in Israel
And drank with the IRA
Is her unwanted roommates
Sipping from the dampness
Laying eggs in her pages
Dodging the light
“I can’t take los cucarachas!”
Their invasive presences
Has stretched the tolerance
Of this lifelong Progressive
And so she retires
To her new home by The Lake
Still tiny
Managed by sweet but evil bastard
Rather than a demented sweetheart
Because the view is fabulous
And the price is right
It’s Meribeth’s turn to escape
About the Creator
Gene Lass
Gene Lass is a professional writer and editor, writing and editing numerous books of non-fiction, poetry, and fiction. Several have been Top 100 Amazon Best Sellers. His short story, “Fence Sitter” was nominated for Best of the Net 2020.
The Devil's Triangle
The sails ruffled in the breeze as we cruised along. The Sea Breeze was a mid-size catamaran that sailed out of Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda. We had booked this trip weeks in advance and were now looking at our Captain, Spike and two boat hands. Paddy and Wilson seemed like nice guys, joking around with the passengers and telling us some stories about Bermuda that only locals would know. Their island accents sounded almost British but they were pleasant to listen to.
By Barbara Gode Wiles2 days ago in Fiction
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